You Promised
by DarkAngelsShadow
Summary: She was crying out my name Standing in the driveway. Song fic


**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers. This song like many others have been stuck in my head. Figured it was time to let it out. Hope this makes sense and flows for you. Sorry if it doesn't my sister my beta has been out of commission with out a computer. So please if the spelling and wording is off don't throw any rotten tomatoes at me. I'll get it cleaned up and reworked if it needs it later.**

**Entering this one into the soa loving mom songfic contest wish me luck. oxox**

******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from The Walking Dead. I didn't write the song You promised by Brantly Gilbert though i do love the story writen behind it. Or the song what if i was nothing by all that remains there lyrics inspired me.**

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**You Promised**

"DARYL, don't leave we can work this out, you aren't alone in this! DARYL!" **_She was crying out my name _**screaming it out trying to be louder than the beating of my heart in my ears as it was swelling with impossible feelings of love but most of all guilt. Guilt for not being a man of honor for her, not saving her daughter or my damn brother. I could hear her from the inside of that beat up truck. The rain pounding on the rusty roof didn't help drown out the sound of her voice as she was **_standing in the driveway_**.

Carol's **_little bare feet_** turning blue standing in the middle of the pouring rain. Lighting crashing across the sky lighting up her pain crushed face. **_Wearing her cotton dress _**the blue material being soaked through down to her skin as she was standing there **_in my way_** not letting me out of those gates. The gates that would lead me to my freedom from all of this pain and loss.**_ I can still see the rain chasing those tears down her_** face as Rick pulled her out of the way. She was fighting him screaming, cursing my name chasing me down that driveway. "Daryl, don't go you promised, baby you promised." Daryl felt like shit for leaving her there in the pouring rain. _Just let it go, don't want to argue anymore I can't be sure I know just what we're fight for. _Daryl sighed getting lost within his thoughts running around making a muck inside his head._ I know that you're scared and that you're thinking I may go I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving you woman._

Merle was gone, and it felt like the blame for it was all resting on Daryl's shoulders, it was his entire fault. The months had passed right on by and he still carried all that guilt. The trees had long since lost their leaves to the cold relentless ground. Now **it was back in October** the weather was growing colder and colder. She was standing out there in that yard hanging laundry when he came up to her side. She shook her head and backed away, He said "It's over baby, Carol I can't do this I need some time, I've lost who I am, lost that honor." He turned his back to her and walked away as she sank to her knees on the cold frozen ground. Daryl listened as his heart ran, wondering **_when it said it's over, _**_if it was true? If it wasn't then why did it run** and hide behind the door.**_ So he hid. While his conscience screamed at him, **_behind the shame of my conviction, beside myself. _**Staring into that mirror that stood there in his new cell, the one he had just shattered with his fist because he couldn't bare to see himself there without her**_. Beside some empty pill prescription. _**An empty bottle of sleeping pills sat beside him, at least someone up above was looking over him for it was empty and Hershel had no replacements for him. Daryl could hear her voice screamin' now.

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When Carol could finally make out what had happened before her she couldn't believe it as she grabbed at her head of hair and sunk down to her knees. "**No baby don't, you're making my heart hurt, don't say those words.** There lies, damn you Daryl **take it back you know you don't mean that, you swore."**

His warmth was gone; his strength in himself that they had been building up to all that laid out before them when they started this, was gone. All that she could see was that look upon his face when he asked her to forever walk with him. Carol was feeling pathetic, for it made her smile a sad tearful smile. As she thought of that first night they had come together underneath that tree. Two bodies bonding and spirits joining to become one and now he's walking away. Did he forget that she still wore his ring?

** "When I wore your ring it meant forever,** did you lie to me Daryl? Did that promise we made on that night in the middle of winter under our tree, when you saved me and we promised to be together? Did it mean anything to you at all? Even if it was done in secret with no others around to watch as you took me, made me yours forever, you swore it again when you took my body and laid me down." Carol got up she had things that she had to do, it wasn't the first time her heart was torn in two. **I've got it on baby. How can you say I lost it? Oh, you promised."**

Daryl had been woken up by the sound of his own crying out ringing loudly in his ears. _I had **started crying while I was sleeping. **_As he was waking up he was stretching out his arms in an empty bed, reaching out for her. **_Waking up and reaching out to a bed as empty as the heart inside my chest. _**His heart was empty and heavy sitting in his chest as the memories of the past few days came crashing throughout his head. Trying to gather up the broken pieces of what he had done, all the harm he had caused her while lost in his sorrow. Daryl knew you always hurt the one you loved the most because it was unlikely you would push them away and he hoped right now that saying was right. He knew he'd hurt her. **_So he gathered up some pictures to take to Carol in hopes of reminding her of better days._**

With a heavy heart and a clear head he gathered up the few pictures he had of the two of them. That note he had written her on the night they had wed in secret was sticking out from the pocket of his leather coat. _"_Might as well give it to her, can't fuck thing up any more then I already have."_ Gods, please don't take her from me too._ He left the cell he had been staying in and went off to find her._ What if I was nothing? What if this is true? What if I was nothing, girl, nothing without you So what if I was angry, what did you think I'd do? I told you that I love you, girl, I'm nothing without you. _His mind screamed out at her shouting wishing she could hear his inner turmoil.

Daryl found her exactly where he knew he would. Daryl reached down deep into himself finding the love he had for her and **_Said "I had some things to give you," I let her read the letter, I had written her, to give her on the day we had tied the knot. I saw the tears I saw them fall as she read the part of my growing old. _**_My hopes and my dreams that I'd get the chance to do it with her. There by her side begging her in that letter telling her in written words what I couldn't get out. I aint a man of many words and my actions might end up killing her on the inside from time to time but if should would teach me be patient and love me I would fight to stay by her side.** I heard her words, I heard her say "It'll never work".**_

_**And I hit my knees and cried, "No baby don't you're making my heart hurt. Don't say those words take it back you know you don't mean that. You swore when you wore my ring it meant forever. **_Daryl reached up from his kneeling position there at her feet, asking for her to lay her hand in his.

**_ "You've got it on baby, _**_your still wearing my ring. There's gotta be some hope left in you.** How can you say you lost it?" **_ Daryl got up off his knees placing her hand over his rapidly beating heart, and he couldn't help but wonder how it hadn't torn itself from his chest yet. He knew it was still there because her half of it was beating loudly still in his ears. _I know it's hard woman, it seems we've worked at this so long and with my foolish pride that keeps pushing you away while our hearts keep telling us we're not wrong I hear your voice,_ **_"Yeah and you promised, we were different people then, look at all the hateful things we've said."_**

Flashbacks of the times she would lash out at him for being too over barring his not trusting in her skills to keep herself safe from the harm that was around them on a day to day basis. Daryl getting up and into her face accusing her of being a terrible mother. **_"And I'm just as guilty but girl that's no way to be." _**Daryl had hurt her with his careless words float throughout his head as if on replay. A torture all his own that he'd live with if she would keep him. "**_Take it easy baby, I'm still broken, these memories are _****_enough to tear me wide open_** ."

"It'll never work Daryl, how can we make this work when your still running away from your shadowed past memory? You're better than you think better than what they say you are, can't you trust and believe in me? Just like I believe in you?"

"Carol I trust you**_ . When you see me girl,_****_ you curse my name _**woman**_._** _And if you're thinking I might be lead astray Just remember this one question"_

Daryl moved in closer wrapping his arms around his woman scared that if he couldn't get this all out she might just up and run away. Leave him with this heart of stone that would know no love without her touch. He bent his head down placing a kiss along the side of her neck trailing open mouth kisses up to her ear, before he stopped there and whispered "What if I was nothing? What if this is true? What if I was nothing, girl, nothing without you? So what if I was angry, what did you think I'd do? I told you that I love you, girl, I'm nothing without you._"_

"Woman, your love it,**_ makes me wanna say," _**Carol stepped away from him, a frightened twisted look upon her face and tears threatening to break through. Daryl winced in shame from his earlier actions and he tried to halt her with his words, **_"_**_No**, no baby don't you're making my heart hurt."**_

Carol stopped in her tracks hearing the pain in his voice begging for forgiveness. "How can we make this work Daryl there's? Only one way and… we're going to have to fight with our demons together or it isn't going to work."

**_" Don't say those words. Take it back you know you don't mean that, you know when you wore my ring. We said forever. _**I'll do whatever you want to make this work." Daryl watched as Carol turned away from him, the letter clasped tightly to her chest as she walked away. The pictures drifting out of her hands floating away from them in the gentle sway of the breeze, as she reached up for the clasp on the necklace around her neck.

Daryl fell to his knees as he watched his woman his heart the best part of him turn around and meet his eyes. She had a lone tear drop slipping from her eyes as her hands came up to his eye level and slipped his ring off. **_But you took it off baby, Safe to say we're through No matter what you do. _**Carol took it and placed it around her neck, " You better, your a man who still has his honor. This is a sign that I haven't stopped loving you Daryl, that I don't want you, this is me saying... I'll wait for you, because I love you."

**_ "You know I'll always love you. Well I have to 'Cause I promised._** I'll come back to you, I love ya woman." He got up off his knees and started to walk away. He stopped and even though it was not yet bright out still dark in the early dawn of the morning there was enough light to see the heated gaze on his face as he looked upon Carol. "You can teach me how to love again or stay here watch me go. I'd rather have to beside me then behind me."

"Follow you and be hurt maybe again or stay and forever wonder what might have been?" Carol asked out loud as she rushed up to him, jumping up and into his arms. "Why don't we take this one step at a time and we learn this dance together, because WE promised?"

"No woman, not because of some damn promise those can be fuckin' broken, but because out of love,I need you Carol." Daryl got lost in carol's eyes holding her body close to his for however long the fates would let them be together… hopefully that would be until the end of time.

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Thank you for reading know its on the angsty side sorry, but some times there just meant to be writen out that way. oxox Tula


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